Folding stool



Dec. 31, 1935. s c; MILLER 2,026,427

FQLDING STOOL Filed May 25, 1954 2 Shets-Sheet 1 mmmnm 21 Eden/'0 Dec. 31, 1935.

" s. c MILLER FOLDING STOOL Filed May 25, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Dec. 31, 1935 UNITED STATES FOLDING STOOL Soren C. Miller, St. Louis, Mo., assignor to Three Point Corporation, St. Louis, Mo., a corporation of Missouri Application May 25, 1934, Serial No. 727,386

1 Claim.

This invention relates to improvements in folding stools especially of the type for use for campers, club houses, tourists, lawnstools, porch stools, bathroom stools, flower stands, army use and many other purposes where a. knockdown stool is available, and it consists preferably of a plurality of hinged standards the upper and lower ends of said standards being flared outwardly to form a seat support .and base support.

The essential feature of the invention is to construct a stool composed preferably of three standards each provided with a hinge member whereby the several standards are hinged together so that the standards may be placed in a folded position as well as spread out, forming a tripod, the upper ends supporting a detachable seat which has a peripheral flange against which the upper ends of the standards have frictional contact for holding the seat in set position thereon.

Another object of the invention is the general arrangement, construction and combination of parts as will be fully hereinafter described and set forth in the claim.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the stool in a set up position.

Figure 2 is a side view of the same.

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view of the stool.

Figure 4 is an enlarged detail horizontal sectional view of the standards showing the construction of the hinge made use of showing the same in folded position.

Figure 5 is a similar view to Figure 4, showing the same in a spread position.

Figure 6 is a top plan view of the stool when in a knocked down position when lain upon the floor.

Figure 7 is an enlarged front view of the hinge made use of.

Figure 8 is a side view of the same with the standard shown in section.

Figure 9 is a perspective view of the hinge members before being connected together.

In the general construction of my invention I provide a plurality of standards each being of channel formation and the same are bent at the points A and B so as to form two flaring ends H and I 2.

Between the bends A and B the standards are parallel to each other and in this location are inserted the hinge members by which the standards are hingedly connected together. The flaring ends ll act as the seat support and on which is detachably placed a seat I3 which in this instance is preferably of disc formation having a peripheral flange l4 against the inner Su face of which the ends l of the flared ends II have frictional contact for holding the seat in set position when placed thereon.

The flared ends I2 .act as the legs, the bottom ends of each have a'portion of the material bent 5 inwardly as indicated by the numeral 16 to provide a solid base support and prevent the legs from marring the surface or from sinking into the ground when the weight of the person seated on the stool is applied. 10

The hinge members which form a vital part of the invention consist preferably of three members, one of which I will term the central member. It is composed of sheet material and in channel formation, its two ends are bent inwardly at right angles thereto and each end is formed with two ears I! each provided with a rivet receiving bore IS. The other two members are likewise of channel formation and their ends are bent inwardly and each is formed with one ear 0 l9 likewise provided with a rivet receiving bore 20. These members are inserted in the channel standards and either riveted or welded as found preferable. The ears are connected together and rivets placed through the bores I 8 and 20. Then the standards are ready to be placed from a folded position to an extended or setup position as shown.

The central hinge member is provided with lugs 2| the same being bent inwardly from and located midway between the ears l1, these lugs acting as stops for the outer hinge members and against which'the ends 22 contact when the hinge is in a spread position.

It is not necessary that the hinge members be made all of one piece, the upper and lower ends may be made of short sections and inserted in the channel standards. Such construction may be advisable in the construction of the stool concerning the question of cheapness of production. 40 However the principle is the same and the mode of operation likewise the same.

Some and other changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of the invention above set forth without departing from the real spirit and purpose thereof; and it is my intention to cover by the following claim any modification or modified form of structure or use of equivalents which may be reasonably included within their scope.

Having fully described my invention what I claim is:

A folding chair comprising three standards of inwardly facing channel formation, hingedly connected to rotate about a vertical axis, each standard comprising a central vertical portion and outwardly flaring upper and lower portions, 2. seat having a downturned flange frictionally engaged upon the upper flared standard portions, the hinges comprising hinge members secured to the insidesof the central vertical standard portions, one hinge member having at each end a pair of inwardly extending ears one offset laterally to each side of the center line of the corresponding standard, the other two hinge members each having at each end one inwardly extending laterally ofiset ear pivotally connected to an ear of the first named hinge member.

SOREN C. MILLER. 

